tonight, breaking news. tense moments on the campaign trail. the secret service rushes the stage at a hillary clinton rally. as donald trump tonight stands by his words aimed at, quote, second amendment people, that they could do something. and late today, this image. a man climbing trump tower. police watching. also tonight, the police officer who discharged a live round during a practice drill, killing a wife, a retired librarian. the news conference late today. severe weather at this hour. a tornado just confirmed here in the northeast. and the flood worries tonight across the south. the webcam warning. parents who thought they were protecting their twin daughters, strangers then hacking into that camera. gold rush. michael phelps, and that moment with his rival. the story behind it.

why is that pool green? good evening. and as we come on the air tonight, several breaking stories on the campaign trail. and a bizarre scene playing out right here in new york city late today. a drama playing out right there at trump tower in midtown manhattan. you can see a climber scaling the 58-story tower, using suction cups to get up. you can see, police had removed a window at the 21st floor, pulling him in as bystanders and pedestrians were watching the whole thing unfold from down below on fifth avenue. abc's gio benitez is live from the scene tonight. gio, good evening. >> reporter: david, good evening to you. police say he's clearly a stuntman, but even with his capture, we still don't know what he was doing climbing this building, all the way up to the 21st floor. take a look at some of this video. tonight, mystery over why this man climbed trump tower. social media showing him starting around 4:00 p.m.

the tower as he makes his ascent. wearing a backpack and using giant suction cups, he scaled the building from floor to floor, avoiding capture. >> you see the guy climbing, it's, you see the police, they set mattresses, inflatable for that if he falls, they can catch him. >> reporter: he made it up to the 16th floor. police breaking a window to try to reach him. and watch. you can see him speaking with cops with no apparent intent on giving up. nobody clear on what he planned to do. >> wow. that's some very tense moments there with so many people watching this play out, gio. and there was word that he might have been carrying some form of pamphlets? >> reporter: that's right. they said that he was carrying some leaflets and police sources actually saw those. and they said, you know what, they were just about self-promotion. they don't believe that donald trump was ever in danger, of course, he wasn't here in this building, he was down campaigning in florida. but they don't believe that trump was ever in danger. they don't believe anyone was in danger. they just wanted to get him down

>> yeah, so many new yorkers and tourists watching him pulled in through that window on the 21st floor. gio, thank you. that drama playing out moments ago. in the meantime, donald trump was far from trump tower, instead, campaigning hundreds of miles away in virginia tonight, and standing firm after those controversial remarks about hillary clinton and remarks aimed at, quote, second amendment people, and what they could do. here's abc's tom llamas. >> reporter: tonight, donald trump still feeling the heat after this comment on the campaign trail that some interpreted to be a threat to hillary clinton. >> hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the second amendment. if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. although the second amendment people, maybe there is, i don't know. >> reporter: trump seeming to blame the press for the backlash over that comment. >> because they can take a little store that isn't a story, and make it into a big deal. happens so much.

amendment, which is under siege. remember that. remember that. it's under siege. >> reporter: prominent trump supporters say he was joking, not inciting violence. trump himself explains it this way -- >> what we're talking about is political power. there's tremendous political power to save the second amendment, tremendous. and you look at, you know, you look at the power they have in terms of votes and that's what i was referring to, obviously. >> reporter: trump refuting a cnn report that the secret service had reached out to his campaign tweeting, "no such meeting or conversation ever happened. a made-up story by low ratings cnn." but even speaker paul ryan, who endorsed trump, telling supporters this after his primary win last night. >> it's simple to prey on people's fears. that stuff sells, but it doesn't stick. >> reporter: in a scathing op-ed in "the new york times," columnist thomas friedman writing, quote, trump knows what he is doing, and it is so

writing about lone wolves, friedman writes, "they hear the signal in the noise." even talk show host and former republican congressman joe scarborough writing in "the washington post," quote, a bloody line has been crossed. donald trump has left the republican party few options but to act decisively and get this political train wreck off the tracks before something terrible happens. >> reaction from all sides tonight. tom llamas with us live again this evening. and tom, the nra standing firmly behind donald trump, in particular, in the form of a new major ad buy. >> reporter: that's right, david. the nra spending $3 million on donald trump. this is the single largest pro-trump ad buy of trump's entire campaign. and the nra making an argument that hillary clinton is a hypocrite, in that advertisement, for living with armed guards for 30 years, yet wanting to restrict gun rights. david? >> tom llamas, our thanks to you again tonight. and hillary clinton, meanwhile, campaigning in iowa, and just as she was about to

the secret service suddenly rushing the stage beforehand. abc's cecilia vega with the tense moments there. >> reporter: the secret service rushing in as hillary clinton spoke in iowa today. officers tackling an animal rights protester who tried to rush the stage. clinton didn't flinch. >> superpower of the 21st century. >> reporter: officers dragging the protester out. >> and some people get a little carried away. have you noticed that? >> reporter: the scene comes just 24 hours after trump made those controversial commen about the second amendment. >> although the second amendment people, maybe there is, i don't know. >> reporter: but tonight, clinton has some fighting words of her own. >> words matter, my friends. >> reporter: clinton now says her opponent is inciting violence. >> and if you are running to be president, or you are president of the united states, words can have tremendous consequences.

latest in a long line of casual comments from donald trump that crossed the line. >> reporter: also tonight, more e-mail troubles. the state department releasing dozens of previously unreleased exchanges, raising questions about donations to the clinton foundation in exchange for favors. in one, a foundation official directs clinton aide huma abedin to connect a top foundation donor with the u.s. ambassador to lebanon, writing, "this is very important." today, the clint c saying, "hillary clinton never took action as secretary of state because of donations to the clinton foundation." but trump says the e-mails exposed pay for play connections. >> and cecilia vega with us live tonight. cecilia, hillary clinton seems to be not only answering new questions about the e-mails, but pointing forward and trying to reach out to republicans and independents? >> reporter: that's right. both of those groups, david. her campaign has launched a formal campaign to win them over and they are now expanding their

strongholds like arizona and georgia. they think they can win over some of those republican voters who are unhappy with donald trump. david. >> cecilia vega with us tonight. thanks, cecilia. next this evening, a tragic accident taking the life of a 73-year-old wife and retired librarian. the police chief calling it, quote, unimaginable. mary knowlton, who was taking part in a police department community safety workshop was randomly chosen to play the victim in a safety exercise. she was then accidentally shot and ki and abc's phillip mena is in punta gorda tonight. >> we are mourning and missing mary, as she was a vital member of our community. >> reporter: at a citizen training session at the punta gorda, florida, police station, 73-year-old mary knowlton was volunteered from 35 participants to engage in a shoot, don't shoot drill. designed to show how police make split-second decisions. the officer playing the attacker was supposed to fire blanks at her. >> participant mary knowlton was

round. >> suddenly, there was three loud gunshots. i caught her eye as she then went down onto the ground. >> reporter: knowlton, a retired librarian originally from minnesota, was there with her husband. her son is devastated, but says he forgives the officer, and she would, too. >> she really supported the police here. that's why they went there last night, just to show their support. >> reporter: the chief of police, who was also there when it happened, said real weapons had been used before. >> as the chief of police, will you allow a real weapon to be used again at a citizens academy like this? >> the answer is absolutely not. >> reporter: abc news has learned that the officer involved is lee cole. cole was involved in a controversial traffic stop late last year. his canine taking down a cyclist. cole was cleared by the department, but that cyclist is suing the department, and the lawsuit is pending. officer cole has been placed on administrative leave. and the florida department of

investigating. david? >> phillip mena on the scene for us tonight. phillip, thank you. we turn next here to the extreme weather watch in several parts of the country tonight. a tornado in connecticut confirmed late today, just before we came on. storms in the northeast. and a ground stop at a abcnews.com per of major airports for a time. also, tropical moisture delivering rain to the phoenix valley. and dozens of rescues. one woman's suv pinned against this bridge. firefighters breaking her back window to get her out. now, a flash flood watch along the gulf of excessive heat on the way in the northeast. and severe weather we're watching here in the east, as well. let's get to rob marciano with us live tonight. hey, rob. >> reporter: hi, david. much of the country in the august soup right now. where it's not ranning, it's super humhumid. and we're adding to the flood zones, not just the southwest, but looking at parts of minnesota. they're getting another round of severe weather over saturated ground today. and the rain onslaught across the gulf coast continues. another five inches plus from pensacola to new orleans. rivers will be on the rise

story is the building heat. philadelphia, new york and boston will be into the 90s, plus humidity. that is hot summertime soup. david? >> rob marciano with us tonight on the weather watch. rob, thanks. next, to rio, and the absolute gold rush for team usa. michael phelps winning two more gold medals, as you know. his personal medal count now is more than many countries have earned from their entire teams. katie ledecky earning her second gold. so far out ahead, the only real race was for second place. and the american women gymnastics team, alswi an historic margin. take a look at the standings tonight. so far, american athletes still well ahead in the medal count. and with phelps, ledecky and those gymnasts slated for more competition, we're hoping for more gold to come. abc's matt gutman, leading our team in rio tonight. >> reporter: not bad for a guy who retired a couple years back. michael phelps now out of retirement, chugging his way to a third gold of these games. phelps notching his 21st gold medal after a particularly

facing off against his south african rival, chad le clos, who beat him in the 2012 london games. le clos at mid stroke, seemingly glancing at phelps in the next lane. phelps winning, but hugging his rival afterwards. the night, not yet over. phelps then hitting the pool for the men's relay, alongside fellow gold medalist ryan lochte. before diving in, one of his swim caps breaks. the swimmers wearing two to increase speed and stability. the top cap is made out of silicone to cut through the water. phelps, as the anchor, was so spent after the win, he could barely pull himself out of the pool. a few years ago, phelps grinned for a picture alongside this little blond girl. but last night, that girl is now the 19-year-old woman, katie ledecky, notching her third gold. earlier in the week, the swimmer obliterating her competition, breaking her own world record and leaving competitors five

is that like being, you know, a great marathoner and being usain bolt at the same time? >> basically. that's great. >> she crushes it every time. >> reporter: but it wasn't all celebratory in the pool. olympic officials now in damage control over this. green algae growing in the water. look at the difference between monday's competition and tuesday's. the international swimming federation confirming that the water tanks ran out of some of the chemicals used in the water treatment process. the women's gymnastics team, a high wire act. the final five, as they call themselves, launching themselves aloft, as if wearing sequined jet packs. simone biles leading all scorers. she was mobbed by her teammates and beaming when they got gold. david, to put the women's dominance into context, gymnastics is often won or lost by hundredths of a point. the women's team won by eight full points. analysts tell us that's like winning the super bowl by 12 touchdowns.

thanks to you again tonight. next here this evening, we learned today about the loss of a beloved broadcaster, our colleague from espn, john saunders. and our friend hannah storm broke the news. >> welcome back to rio. i have some shocking and sad news to report to you. our generous and talented and beloved colleague, john saunders, has died. >> john saunders was one of the most familiar faces at espn, and certainly one of the most respected. >> congratulations to the national champion texas longhorns. >> he loved it, and it showed. right from the start. >> welcome to espn's tuesday night baseball. >> saunders arrived at espn 30 years ago from baltimore. he was there for the beginning of "sportscenter," and for the past 15 years, as host of "the sports reporters." >> i'm john saunders. and here are today's sport reporters. >> he was a role model to so many.

facebook today, saying she just saw john last friday in a hotel lobby. "had i known that would be the last time i saw him, i would have said, thank you, john. thank you for being a stellar example of excellence for me and countless others. not just your remarkable example of what it means to be a journalist, but most importantly, what it means to be a remarkable human being." she also wrote of his loving family, his wife and two daughters. and we are all thinking of them tonight. john was really a fixture at and the abc family tonight. what a loss. there is still much here ahead on "world news tonight" this wednesday, and a major headline breaking. a famed mob boss, why he was suddenly pulled out of witness protection. the new charges tonight. also ahead, a parent's nightmare. and a consumer alert for you. the camera set up to keep their twins safe, but what one mom found streaming on the internet. a hacker broke into the camera in their own home. later tonight here, the big announcement from the girl scouts today.

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fall in love with a new daily fiber. new mirafiber from the makers of miralax. it's the only fiber that supports regularity with dailycomfort fiber. so unlike others, mirafiber is less likely to cause unwanted gas. love your fiber. new mirafiber. next tonight here, a texas mother making a horrifying discovery, finding video of her children's bedroom streaming live online. strangers able to watch it. it turns out the feed from her home camera she was using watch over her twin daughters had been hacked. here's abc's kayna whitworth tonight. >> reporter: tonight, a wakeup call for families using home surveillance cameras. a houston mother terrified to learn that the camera she set up to keep her girls safe was instead giving people around the world a live view of her daughters' every move. >> we have security cameras to protect them and i feel like i failed, because i'm not protecting them. they're in my house. >> reporter: the images were found on the website live stream

than 2,000 miles away in oregon, who saw the footage and immediately posted it on a houston moms facebook page. >> people are watching my kids in their home, dressing, sleeping, playing. it's a parent's worst nightmare. >> reporter: all over the internet, unsuspecting people caught on live cameras, walking their dogs, sleeping, even baby monitors. >> if the system is connected to the internet, then it's vulnerable to attack. and most of these systems have not been designed to be secure, so, they offer multiple opportunities for somebody that knows what they're doing to >> reporter: jennifer says she changed her wifi password, but thinks hackers accessed the camera through a video game her kids were playing. kayna whitworth, abc news, los angeles. >> kayna, thank you. when we come back here tonight, a mob arrest. a former mafia boss in court tonight. why he was suddenly pulled out of witness protection. and the small investment that paid off big time. you're not going to believe this. this guy suddenly worth $20 million. we'll tell you how. and the girl scouts out with a new flavor tonight. the new cookie on the way. lavor.

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to the index of other news tonight. the arrest of a once powerful new england mafia boss. francis salemme, known by many as cadillac frank, was pulled from a witness protection program and charged with murder in boston. he's accused of killing a witness, a boston nightclub manager, back in 1993. if convicted, he could face the death penalty. we turn next here to the man some are calling the accidental millionaire. eric martin took a gamble, investing $18,000 in a contest that then won him $100,000 of stock in the online shopping company jet.com. now, walmart has purchased jet.com. and its estimated that his stake could now be worth $20 million. well, he can buy some girl scout cookies, because they're out with a new cookie tonight, in honor of national smores day today. the organization announcing their new s'mores flavored cookies, on sale next year. he can buy a few boxes. when we come back here tonight, they call themselves

the u.s. women's gymnastics team struck gold, and now they reveal what's behind that nickname. struck gold, and now they reveal

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e. let's do more... ...add one a day men's 50+. complete with key nutrients we may need. plus it helps support healthy blood pressure with vitamin d and magnesium. finally, the u.s. women's gymnastics team declaring their new nickname, the final five. why? amy robach in rio. >> reporter: as the world watched team usa clinch olympic gold, there in the stands watching, too, their legendary coach, martha karolyi. >> we are the final five. >> reporter: nicknaming themselves the final five, because at 73, this is martha's final olympics as coach. the normally stoic romanian shedding tears after hearing the

husband, bela, credited with leading so many american athletes to glory. in 1996, coaching kerri strug, who landed that heroic vault on an injured ankle. bela right there, carrying her to the podium. >> you have to come as close to perfection as possible. >> reporter: she'll accept nothing less from the final five. one more team to cement her place in history. team members simone biles and aly raisman also compete events, and you know that martha will be right there in the stands, cheering them both on. david? >> thanks, amy. i hope to see you right back here tomorrow.

will leave you speechless. one family forced to marry. check the neighborhood wondering if an accused killer will come back. in youngtown the sheriff or does the murder of a three-year- old boy was filing. we know it was unprovoked. >> the boys brother shae holloway, 16, has been charged as an adult and the family was forced to move out just today from that heartbreaking crime scene. chris joins us live >>reporter: court documents tell us that shae holloway, 16, took his three-year-old brother and throw him down from the second story of this home and then went into the kitchen and grabbed the knife and stabbed the three-year-old. his family and detectors are trying to figure out why and they have no motive. >> you are here on a new matter

in the second degree, a class one family. >>reporter: this is the first time we are seeing shae holloway, 16, since he brutally murdered hit -- his three-year- old brother princeton. he doesn't say anything to the judge but according to mcso admitted to killing his brother. >> it's a very difficult situation for a family because we are torn between a tragedy on two different spectrums. >>reporter: the family's grandfather says they will never stop loving shaper don't understand what happened when holloway's race took the life of someone they call a very special boy. >> when i came home from work it was arms race and body slamming into the legs until i picked him up. he was absolutely the most loving little child that i have ever been blessed to know. >>reporter: the family moved from the home today that still standing in the driveway is a memorial that friends and neighbors put together for little princeton.